Prospects the Cleveland Cavaliers Should Consider in 2015 NBA Draft

The narrative surrounding the Cleveland Cavaliers following their NBA Finals loss has been focused on just how bad LeBron James’ supporting cast was. Thorough analysis from ESPN Insider Bradford Doolittle even suggested James’ Finals teammates were the worst in NBA history.

The primary culprit for that was, of course, the injuries suffered by Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving during Cleveland’s playoff run. 

While Love and Irving could’ve potentially swung the balance of the Cavs series vs. the Warriors, Cleveland could stand to add more talent. Depth will never go out of style in the NBA.

It feels odd suggesting a contending team can find immediate help through the draft, but such is the Cavs' situation that they may be in a position to do just that.

Cleveland needs less to find a player who can fill a specific need and more to find a solution to a problem: how to score when the opposition’s entire defense is focused on stopping James. In the end, that was the one obstacle the Cavs couldn’t overcome.

That problem tends to go away when Irving and Love are available, but it’s wise for Cleveland to reinforce their biggest weakness.

Holding the 24th and 53rd picks in the draft, the Cavs should be able to find a player with the shooting ability to keep defenses honest and the talent to push J.R. Smith and Iman Shumpert for playing time on the wing.

Here are three players to keep an eye on.

R.J. Hunter, SG, Georgia State

Hunter might be out of Cleveland’s reach in the first round, with ESPN’s Chad Ford projecting him to go 23rd to Portland and DraftExpress slotting him in at No. 21 to Dallas.

In addition, Toronto (No. 20) and Milwaukee (No. 17) have both worked him out, according to TSN Sports Josh Lewenberg and Charles Gardner of the Journal Sentinel.

Still, it's not a lock Hunter is off the board at No. 24, with a handful of wings jockeying for position late in the first round. If Hunter does last that long, he'd be an ideal fit for Cleveland. 

He made 253 three-pointers in three collegiate seasons, and while his percentages were lower than you’d like, his ability to get to the free-throw line made him an efficient scorer.

Plus, we know Hunter won’t shy away from taking an important shot. Credit to the NCAA March Madness YouTube channel for the video reminder. 

What separates Hunter from the pack, though, is his defensive playmaking ability. As a junior, he averaged 2.1 steals and 1.0 blocks per game, showing he has the potential to be a two-way player in the NBA.

Rashad Vaughn, SG, UNLV

Not much separates Vaughn from Hunter as prospects. They’re both gifted scorers with some defensive upside. They’re even lumped together in mock drafts, with Ford expecting Vaughn to go 22nd to Chicago, one pick ahead of Hunter.

What stands out about Vaughn is his production at a young age. Jonathan Givony provided this neat stat in his DraftExpress scouting report:

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Vaughn's biggest appeal as a NBA prospect revolves around his tremendous scoring instincts from the perimeter, specifically his shot-making prowess. He averaged over 22 points per-40 minutes at the age of 18, which is something only 29 players in the last 15 years of college basketball can boast, all but eight of whom ended up being NBA players.

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The primary concern for Vaughn as a fit for Cleveland is his jumper. His numbers for three-point range were fine—38.3 percent on 6.3 attempts per game—but he failed to crack 70 percent from the free-throw line, which could indicate an issue going forward.

Still, Vaughn’s versatility on offense is worth the gamble, especially considering the lack of playmakers Cleveland has beyond the Big Three.

Tyler Harvey, SG, Eastern Washington

Harvey is someone to keep an eye on as the second round of the draft rolls around. Arguably the best shooter in the draft, he shot 40.9 percent from three-point range as a junior on an absurd 9.6 shots per game.

What’s holding Harvey back as a prospect is his relative lack of athleticism. Will he be able to get clean looks at the NBA level?

The Georgetown Hoyas aren’t the Golden State Warriors, but Harvey fared OK against them in the NCAA tournament (credit to YouTube user lolwuttermelons for the video):

In Cleveland, Harvey won’t have to worry about the opposition gearing up to stop him, he'll just need to hit open shots.